NBA Chat With Joel Brigham 4/26/12

1. AJ

   Hey man, you are my favorite hoopsworld writer even though you’re a bulls fan and I’m a knicks fan. I love and respect how you are not too biased. If you are the knicks do you rest your starters and play chicago or play hard and play miami.

   • Joel Brigham

     Good Afternoon, HOOPSWORLD Citizens, and welcome to another edition of my weekly chat. I come to you on the heels of a serious bout with tonsillitis, and all I can say about that is I’m glad I get to type these words instead of speak them. What a miserable, miserable virus this has proven to be. But, like Jordan in the 1997 NBA Finals, I must power through illness to answer questions online because this is the last day of the regular season. There’s so much to talk about!

     Now that we’ve established that I’m basically exactly like Michael Jordan, let’s move on to the queries:

     AJ, thank you, I appreciate that. As for what the Knicks should do tonight, I mean, even if they sit all their guys is there really any excuse to lose to Charlotte under any circumstances? And even if they lose, Philly could still lose in Detroit, especially if they decide to sit as many guys as they did last night in Milwaukee. A lot of scenarios could play out while we wait to see who the first-round matchups will be in the East, so I think instead of trying to play for one thing or another, you just do what you think is best for the team and deal with whatever consequences come as a result of that.

     I have a hard time thinking a team would purposefully lose a game because they’d rather have Chicago than Miami. For the record, I’d absolutely rather have Chicago than Miami right now, but that’s besides the point. Knicks will play hard, whoever is in the game, and I expect them to win and clinch that 7 seed. The whole world wants to see LeBron/Melo anyway. Would definitely be the first round’s marquee match-up.

2. Mutang

   Joel I’m curious about what Utah will do this offseason, after blowing all the pundits out of the water with their almost certain playoff push. They have 4 quality bigs, FAvors has shown he’s ready, and may just be a dominator. Al and Paul of course are studs. Kanter has shown he was a good pick, and maybe very well be a stud. Whats Utah going to do with all that? Keep them? Can they afford them? Pg situation??

   • Joel Brigham

     All excellent questions. I’m pretty sure Utah’s long-term cap situation is pretty wide-open, so they don’t have to panic at this point and trade away the veterans that clearly got them into the postseason this year. Millsap is one of the most underpaid guys in the league at $8 million a year, so I just don’t see why you’d move him other than to get more minutes for Favors. I will say that teams want Millsap pretty badly, but the asking price is probably going to be pretty high right now, and how do you match salaries to get full value for him?

     I think you ride this out until you’re forced to make some kind of move. If Utah was a lottery team, I’d advocate trading Jefferson and Millsap and giving Kanter and Favors their opportunity to play starters’ minutes. As it is, though, they’re a pretty good, scrappy team. That’s a glut in the frontcourt, but I’d hold onto it for now.

     As for point guard, your guess is as good as mine right now. Best case scenario is Kendall Marshall falls to them in the middle of the first round. Marquis Teague should be available when they pick, so he could be worth a gamble, too. Goran Dragic could be interesting on the free agency tip, though he’ll have a lot of teams interested him this summer. I imagine they’ll do something, but it won’t be crazy splashy. They’ll probably try to score young, which is where they’ve seen so much success elsewhere this year (Hayward, Burks, those bigs, etc…)

3. matt

   Considering the amount of time drose has missed this year do you think he should skip the olympics this summer? I know its a big deal but you have to put your health first.

   • Joel Brigham

     I understand what you’re saying, but I also don’t think there’s a chance in H-E-double-hockey-sticks he sits out London. If he hurts something in the postseason, maybe he’ll be forced to, but if he’s as healthy as he is now (which isn’t 100%, by the way), I still see him heading out to Europe to compete for a gold medal. This would be his first Olympics, which I know he’s looking forward to, and he really wants that gold medal. Plus, I think he’s got some contractual stuff with adidas that would allow him to make some decent bank by heading out that way, too.

     It’s a risk, for sure, but he needs to be there, and I think ultimately he will be.

4. raps4ever

   Hi Joel, Do you personally think Harrison Barnes, is a legit top 5 pick in the coming draft? What do you think of Royce White? Between Barnes and White, don’t you think White is more NBA ready in all aspect of the game? although, a bit undersize, but physically equipped by NBA standard.

   • Joel Brigham

     I’m on the record a lot the last few months as being pretty down on Harrison Barnes. I’m not buying into someone who was that brutal in the NCAA tournament when it really mattered, and I just think in general he’s too one-dimensional to ever be a real competitor in the league. He doesn’t have that cutting edge that guys like Durant and Wade and Kobe have, and there have been plenty of uber-athletic guys come into the NBA with all this promise and then flame out. I’m just not seeing it in Barnes. My top five in this draft, even though it won’t work out this way, are 1. Davis, 2. Thomas Robinson, 3. Kidd-Gilchrist, 4. Jared Sullinger, 5. Brad Beal.

     Haven’t able to watch enough Royce White this year to have much of an opinion on him, but from what I understand he’s a little heavy and a little undersized, plus has some personal baggage that just equates to a lot of red flags. Late first-round pick, probably. Not a lot will be expected of him.

5. Deven

   Hi Joel. What’s next for Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns in your mind?

   • Joel Brigham

     I really, really hope he explores free agency and finds himself a good fit to compete for a championship. I’d love a two-year deal with, say, the Lakers for example. Think how great he’d be in Memphis or Indiana? All those athletic wings running all over the place with Nash wheeling and dealing? Adding him would make any of those three teams instant contenders. I don’t that I think any of those three will win a ring this year, but with Nash, they’d be right back in the elite.

     If he spends the rest of his career rotting in Phoenix, I’ll be pretty disappointed. The playoffs aren’t the playoffs with Nash. The Suns are clearly rebuilding at this point; it’d be silly to bring him back. Hoping he takes a smaller deal to play for a better team.

6. calvinzero

   I am very curious why Oklahoma City Thunder is not on the list for the title contenders. How do you come out with that seven teams(such as Lakers, Knicks, Mavs, Celtics and others)??

   • Joel Brigham

     Because at the beginning of the article I explained that the Bulls, Heat, Spurs (none of whom were listed in the 7, either), and Thunder were the “no-duh” contenders, and the list was about the other 7 teams that could also have a shot at it. I love doing my Top 5 lists, but a problem I constantly bump into is people skimming the list without reading the intros. You miss valuable information by doing that, Calvin Zero!

     I hope we all learned a valuable lesson today.

7. Thomas Pynchon

   Kevin Durant has had quite a few terrible games against elite competition this season (mavs, spurs, lakers, bulls, amongst others) but the media sweeps it under the rug. Whats the reason for that? If it was Dirk (or a white player) he would be crucified for every subpar performance.

   • Joel Brigham

     Really? Did Dirk not get a pass for missing weeks worth of games because he wasn’t in shape to play? Who crucified him for THAT? I certainly don’t remember it.

     No, this has nothing to do with race and everything to do with the fact that Durant is such a likeable guy. Even on his own team, Westbrook gets killed for every wrong thing he does, but KD gets a free pass because he’s friendly, works hard, and is flat-out a bigger star. Same thing with D-Rose in Chicago. That kid can do no wrong in our eyes (despite the fact that he has, undoubtedly, done his fair share of wrong). Guys just connect with cities and with media and with fans, and we tend to let those guys’ mistakes slide.

     We all hate LeBron, so everything he does gets criticized. It has nothing to do with race. At all.

8. Ray

   Hey Joel, given the lack of options in free agency for Boston do you think they pay Jeff green and bring back Kevin and maybe ray for two years, then have a go at the 2014 class?

   • Joel Brigham

     I’ve said before that I take no issue with them re-signing Garnett and Allen for another two years to match up with the end of Pierce’s contract, but Green could be harder now that he’s an unrestricted free agent this summer and can sign where ever he wants. It’ll depend on how deep into the postseason Boston gets. If they fall way short, it’ll be hard to avoid blowing that thing up and start the rebuilding process. Even if they do relatively well, short of a championship I’m not sure Ray Allen will stick around anyway. He may find a nicer role on a team with a little better shot at a ring the next three years. He’s got some productivity left in him and is in great shape. Even if Boston wants him back, who’s to say he’ll want to stay in Boston?

9. Chris G

   What does it say about the league that the Bulls, who have only one superstar and played without him for one third of the season, are poised to have the best record in the NBA for the second straight year. Do other, more talented teams just not try as hard?

   • Joel Brigham

     It means a couple of things. For one, it means that Chicago has one of the best coaches in basketball. You can’t underrate that. Say what you want about guys like Phil Jackson and Pat Riley, but Jerry Sloan’s teams always made the playoffs no matter what kind of talent he had to work with. Good coaches can work with whatever core and have success, and Thibs is a truly great coach.

     Beyond that, the Bulls came into this season 1. pretty much completely in tact from last season, which helps when there’s no training camp, 2. relatively young and healthy, and 3. very, very deep. Injuries haven’t phased Chicago because they’ve got so many guys at every position that can pick it right back up for short spurts. They’re 11 deep, they’ve got great youth, a great coach, and all that in a season where everybody else struggles because the schedule is so tight and exhausting and almost no one else has those same advantages meant Chicago was going to win a ton of games, with or without Rose.

     All that said, no team plays harder than the Bulls, and that plays a big part in this, too.

10. Brad

    What are your thoughts on Andre Drummond? Do you think he’ll be a bust due to “motivational issues” or will he be something big in the NBA with the right team?

    • Joel Brigham

      I’m not feeling Drummond, and I think it has everything to do with his road to the NBA. If I’m remember this right, he could’ve played another year of high school basketball had he wanted to, but he stayed on course for college and committed to UConn pretty late due in large part to the fact that he was worried NBA draft age requirements might change. So he rushed himself through college, didn’t have a particularly great season, and now is rushing himself to the NBA. He’s tall and has a lot of the raw tools you want in an NBA center, but he’s just not developed enough for me to see him having an immediate impact. Maybe in time, but I just think his game is so limited and his back story doesn’t necessarily inspire any extra confidence in him. He’s better than Hasheem Thabeet, but no Roy Hibbert or Greg Monroe, either.

11. Lazeric

    What’s up J Beezy? lol

    So I drop these 2 NJ questions on Lang be4 and I was wondering your opinion:

    1. Say the Gods for some reason aligned in NJ favor and they end up with the #1 pick in the draft, do the keep the pick or they to package it with say Lopez for DH12 the indecisive giant?

    2. With the uncertain future of the Kings in SacTown would NJ be a desirable destination for them to move 2? A bigger market, and beautiful building, and a large fan base would seem to make the NJ area a great place to move to rite?

    • Joel Brigham

      1. Anyone who gets the top pick isn’t trading it. I get the love for Howard, but Davis is the next Kevin Garnett. He’s cheaper and probably better off for the long-term of the franchise. Howard’s coming off back surgery, and from a personality standpoint I wouldn’t want anything to do with that guy right now. I didn’t think it was possible to screw over a city worse than LeBron did Cleveland, but Howard’s right there with Orlando, and it’s not even over yet. That’s not going to end well, and while I’d advocate shipping any OTHER lottery pick plus Lopez to Orlando for him (something that won’t happen since Portland is probably getting that pick anyway), I wouldn’t do it with Davis. He’s too good.

      2. It’s possible, for sure. But wasn’t Seattle in line first?

12. Josh

    Joel,

    I think the Jazz can pull an upset against the Spurs. I think the resurgence of Devin Harris along with Hayward stepping up and our bigs easily outplaying the Spurs I think the Jazz can do it. We suck on the road which will most likely be our demise but I think it is possible.

    • Joel Brigham

      The #1 Spurs lost to an eight-seed last year with more or less the same core of guys, so yes, it’s possible again, though I don’t think the ’12 Jazz are anywhere near as good as the ’11 Grizzlies. I also think San Antonio is a better team this year, and there are too many vets and Popovich is too good a coach to let that happen two years in a row. I wouldn’t count on an upset, but it’s your right to dream. Honestly, just getting that Jazz into the postseason is an exciting accomplishment. I had them pegged as garbage preseason, and they’ve been so, so good this year. Props for the job they’ve done, but I can’t see them taking San Antonio in round 1.

13. Dr. J

    If the Bobcats get the first pick what would it take for them to trade it? The Jazz have some very good trade assets (Jefferson, Millsap, Harris, GS pick) any chance they work something out. Favors and Davis at C and PF could be the best pair of defensive big men ever. What about Millsap, Kanter, and a future 1st rounder or Jefferson, Harris, and the Golden State Pick for the number 1 pick.

    • Joel Brigham

      Whoever gets the #1 pick isn’t trading it. Anthony Davis will play for the team that wins the lottery. For Charlotte’s sake, let’s hope it’s them. For Davis’s sake, let’s hope it’s Cleveland or Toronto.

14. Felix

    What do you think is the most pressing need for the Miami Heat for the ’12-’13 season? With maybe an intriguing lineup of Wade-Miller-Battier-James-Bosh thrown in at times to mix matchups, maybe a Nash type or Dragic at the point for a more conventional look (lineup they are using now)?

    • Joel Brigham

      Here’s another team that would be great for Steve Nash. Not sure why I didn’t think of them after that first question. I suppose my brain just automatically blocks out ideas that would make the HEAT better. That’s gotta be it.

      But to actually answer your question, they need personnel help, not lineup tweaks. A real point guard and a real center. If they can get one or both of those, they’ll be a noticeably better team next year. If they just bring aboard more has-beens and swingmen, it’ll be just another lateral summer.

15. Justin

    3 questions.

    Do you think the Raptors could aquire Steve Nash. Years ago Nash said he would like to retire on a canadian team.. perfect situation.

    Should Rubio and Irving both win rookie of the Year?

    And do you think Lebron James is more athletic than skilled?

    • Joel Brigham

      1. I want Nash to have a shot at a championship. He’s not getting that in Toronto. So I’m hoping that’s not what happens. If that’s the case, why not just stay in Phoenix?

      2. Nope. Irving and Irving alone. He was the better all-around rookie even before he got injured. The fact that he missed the last third of the season only solidifies the fact that it’s Irving’s award.

      3. He’s both athletic and skilled, he just sucks in the clutch. Best basketball player alive, but he hates The Moment. That’s his lone flaw as a professional basketball player. Everything else, he’s more or less perfect at.

16. Jaimeson

    What can we expect from Cavs this offseason? Stud SG/SF from draft? Can we lure any FA’s to Cleveland? LBJ trade $ still around? Irving/Thompson & Varejeo are nice 3/5 of starting lineup.

    • Joel Brigham

      If I was them with a top five pick, I’d roll with either Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Bradley Beal (assuming they don’t end up with the top pick, that is). Preferably MKG, who’d be a great fit there.

      Not sure free agents are necessarily lining up to play for the Cavs, but if the money’s right I’d never say no to anything.

      LeBron’s trade exception is gone.

17. Mikey

    DeAndre Jordan is still only 23 and pegged as a young tyson chandler, do you think he be as good?

    • Joel Brigham

      It’s hard to say, but sure. Chandler had kind of a slow start in the league, actually, and I’m guessing their first few season’s worth of numbers are probably pretty similar. Not sure I see the professionalism and drive in Jordan that I’ve seen in Tyson his whole career, but from a talent level he’s certainly good enough to get there. Just don’t know if his head’s in it.

18. Jim

    Dude, let the LBJ thing go. You have referenced hatred and anger towards him multiple times in this chat already without him being asked about in the questions.

    He is a historically great player, who may have some flaws, but its about time for people to straight up let it go. How can you compare the two situations D12 and LBJ, he left as unrestricted free agent which was always a possibility, and D12 is demanding essentially complete control of the team, from picking his coach to players he wants on there, while still under contract and ruining him teams season.. pretty big difference no?

    • Joel Brigham

      Absolutely it is, which is why I said what Howard has done in Orlando is worse than what LeBron did in Cleveland. We all felt like his public humiliation of the city and the team in the summer of 2010 was the worst thing ever, but D12 has shown there’s this other level of ways you can hurt a city’s feelings. I know Dwight’s a decent guy, but he handled that thing so very, very poorly.

      As for my feelings towards LeBron as a player, I’m certainly allowed to have some guys I just don’t care for. I’ve said–in this chat–that LeBron is the most talented player alive, but I just don’t like him or the HEAT, mostly because I’m such a huge Bulls fan. Can’t help it, Jim. You’ve got players you hate, too, right?

19. daniel

    My man Joel. Where can Beasley land this summer where he’ll be a top-3 scoring option on his team and hopefully realize some of that potential? thanks!

    • Joel Brigham

      That’s a good question, and without sitting and looking at rosters to decide that, I can only pull a few guesses out of thin air. I know Toronto has a big need for a small forward, as does Cleveland. I don’t know if either would have much interest in Beasley, but he’d certainly be a top-three scoring option in either city. Who else?… Charlotte? New Orleans? I still don’t think it’s impossible to return to Minnesota. Where ever he ends up, he’ll be there to score. I’m certainly open to other suggestions, but these are the names that pop out for now.

      And that’s my hour folks! Enjoy the last night of the regular season and all the positional jostling we’re sure to see over the course of the evening. Postseason starts Saturday afternoon. Who’s ready?